Pre-conditioning the batteries....how?

[West1134]

Sorry if this is a dumb question, still learning about this car.

So I keep reading about "pre-conditioning" the battery to get ideal operating temps/performance. Is there something special I'm supposed to be doing to enact that? Or is it automated based on outside temp etc?

Like do I use the "remote start" function and it will auto pre-condition the battery while also conditioning the cabin? OR do I simply set up the auto-departure feature where it will precondition the car while plugged in for my departure time etc.

Obviously, doing this while plugged in is ideal since it'll draw from line power vs battery. What else am I missing (if anything?)

Thanks in advance!

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[Mach-Lee]

You must set a departure time under the charging settings. Right now this is the only way to heat up the battery.

 

[West1134]

You must set a departure time under the charging settings. Right now this is the only way to heat up the battery.

Thank you for that level of detail.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Thank you for that level of detail.

Also "Preparing for Drive" status in the FordPass app means the battery is being preconditioned. If it's warm enough you may not see that. With a departure time it will heat the battery first and then the cabin. If the pack is very cold it may start heating it up to an hour before the scheduled departure time (large thermal mass is slow to warm). You also have the option of selecting whether to precondition when unplugged or not. I can't remember if the battery gets warmed during an unplugged departure time, I think the answer is no, just the cabin.

In the winter I always plug in at night and have departure times set for my work days. It takes a little more electricity but the pack is much happier. If you are taking a longer trip you want the pack warm so you can extract maximum range.

The pack will also be heated or cooled before charging as necessary, but not while unplugged.

 

[Terence Murphy]

It takes a little more electricity but the pack is much happier.

Care to elaborate? Does a warm battery only help maximum range, or maximum performance, or does it aid longevity? If I don’t care about performance on my commute, and have more than enough range, is it worth preconditioning?

 

[HuntingPudel]

Care to elaborate? Does a warm battery only help maximum range, or maximum performance, or does it aid longevity? If I don’t care about performance on my commute, and have more than enough range, is it worth preconditioning?

The process of warming or cooling the battery takes place only when the car is plugged into a L2 or L3 (I think, not positive on L3) charging source. The car uses shore power to condition the battery. Thus, it takes mains power (aka "electricity") to warm or cool the battery to operating temperature. ??

 

[Mach-Lee]

Care to elaborate? Does a warm battery only help maximum range, or maximum performance, or does it aid longevity? If I don’t care about performance on my commute, and have more than enough range, is it worth preconditioning?

All of the above. A warm battery has higher capacity, higher maximum current, higher regen limit (more energy recaptured) and will also last slightly longer since charging freezing lithium batteries (from regen) can cause lithium plating. Although I think regen will be limited until the pack warms up enough.

If you don't care about performance or efficiency then you don't have to precondition. But if you want higher performance or driving efficiency then you should.

 

[Terence Murphy]

So there’s a trade off for power used to precondition vs efficiency lost due to lower regen. On my commute (18 miles each way), I use around 5 kW, with around 20% regen, so about 1 kW gained from regen. Preconditioning at 6 kW/hr for 30 minutes sounds like a net loss, if the only offset is regen.

Is it less efficient to pull power out of a cold battery? Or does the lower range attributed to battery performance more like raising the minimum charge level, and the kW effectively return on the next warm day?

(I know a lot of other factors contribute to lower efficiency in winter, like rolling resistance, air density, the heater. I’m just focusing on the battery here)

 

[HuntingPudel]

So there’s a trade off for power used to precondition vs efficiency lost due to lower regen. On my commute (18 miles each way), I use around 5 kW, with around 20% regen, so about 1 kW gained from regen. Preconditioning at 6 kW/hr for 30 minutes sounds like a net loss, if the only offset is regen.

Is it less efficient to pull power out of a cold battery? Or does the lower range attributed to battery performance more like raising the minimum charge level, and the kW effectively return on the next warm day?

(I know a lot of other factors contribute to lower efficiency in winter, like rolling resistance, air density, the heater. I’m just focusing on the battery here)

Yes, the battery chemistry is less efficient when cold. The battery itself holds less energy and is less able to supply anergy in a rapid fashion than when it's warm. The process of moving power around in a cold battery (as @Mach-Lee said) also increases the likelihood of damaging the battery. ??

 

[Mach-Lee]

So there’s a trade off for power used to precondition vs efficiency lost due to lower regen. On my commute (18 miles each way), I use around 5 kW, with around 20% regen, so about 1 kW gained from regen. Preconditioning at 6 kW/hr for 30 minutes sounds like a net loss, if the only offset is regen.

Is it less efficient to pull power out of a cold battery? Or does the lower range attributed to battery performance more like raising the minimum charge level, and the kW effectively return on the next warm day?

(I know a lot of other factors contribute to lower efficiency in winter, like rolling resistance, air density, the heater. I’m just focusing on the battery here)

This is getting into the weeds, the battery coulombic efficiency is slightly less when cold but not really noticeable since it's already at about 97% under normal conditions. The heat from lost efficiency would also be a benefit that would offset some energy needed to warm the pack. The cold effectively shrinks the capacity of the battery. So instead of 91 kWH at 78ºF, you might have 75 kWh available at 32ºF. The capacity loss is temperature dependent and returns once warmed back up. So if the battery was low, you could heat it up and get more energy out of it.

The difference in regen recovery might not be worth it, but preheating the cabin and battery will offset the need to use as much heat during the drive. But if you want to use the least amount of wall electricity possible, then don't use preconditioning. You'll lose regen but won't waste as much heat.

 

[Fremont Kid]

Yes, the battery chemistry is less efficient when cold. The battery itself holds less energy and is less able to supply anergy in a rapid fashion than when it's warm. The process of moving power around in a cold battery (as @Mach-Lee said) also increases the likelihood of damaging the battery. ??
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Thank you for that level of detail.

This is all great, but where did you find 'precondition battery' in the Ford literature or user manual. This is the first I heard of preconditioning the battery. The vehicle settings and Fordpass app just describe preparing the cabin w/o mentioning the battery. Also, seems even the level 1 120v charger provides the minimal power to precondition the battery. Correct or am I not understanding the calculations correctly?

 

[MellowJohnny]

Note you can also schedule multiple departure times per day. For example, I have one set for 4:45 am for swim practices, and another at 8:10 for the morning commute. In the dead of winter 3 hours will be more than enough time for the battery to cool back down again.

 

[Valkyrie]

What if you just remote start your MMEv say 10 minutes before you start driving? Will the battery temp be conditioned along with your AC/Heat in the car?

Maybe coasting 3 miles down a steep hill will precondition the battery enough before I get to the freeway. lolz

 

[21st Century Pony]

Also "Preparing for Drive" status in the FordPass app means the battery is being preconditioned. If it's warm enough you may not see that. With a departure time it will heat the battery first and then the cabin.

It's getting below freezing at night now here in Kentucky. I just looked thru my phone FordPass app... where would I find the "Preparing for Drive" tab? ..maybe 28 degrees is not cold enough yet to triggger it?

...or do I have to have a Departure Time set in order to see the "Preparing for Drive" notice?

 

[RickMachE]

What if you just remote start your MMEv say 10 minutes before you start driving? Will the battery temp be conditioned along with your AC/Heat in the car?

Maybe coasting 3 miles down a steep hill will precondition the battery enough before I get to the freeway. lolz

No, remote start does not condition the battery.

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